Wiggins keeps lead after fourth-stage runaway win

Reuters, BOURG-EN-BRESSE, FRANCE

Yellow-jersey leader Bradley Wiggins of Britain races on Thursday during the 53.5km time trial of the 64th edition of the Criterium du Dauphine race, between Villie-Morgon and Bourg-en-Bresse in southeastern France.

Photo: AFP

Bradley Wiggins kept his lead in the Criterium du Dauphine, and reinforced his status as favorite for the Tour de France and the Olympic time trial, with a runaway victory in the fourth stage on Thursday.

In a 53.5km individual time trial heralded as a duel between Wiggins and Cadel Evans, the 32-year-old Briton came close to overhauling last year’s Tour de France winner, even though the Australian set off two minutes earlier.

Wiggins finally finished 34 seconds up on world time-trial champion Tony Martin of Germany, with the stage winner’s Sky teammate Mick Rogers of Australia in third place.

After a solid start on a winding course buffeted by strong winds, Evans slumped to eighth spot, one minute and 43 seconds adrift of the Briton.

“It’s always nice to beat the world champion, something to tell the kids when they’re older,” Wiggins said. “I’ve not beaten him many times in the past and it’s by no means going to be the same in every time trial from now on. But to beat him by a clear margin was a huge satisfaction.”

With the race heading into the mountains yesterday, title holder Wiggins has a 38 second advantage over Martin.

Rogers is third, a further 42 seconds behind.

“We’ll probably have to be careful not to chase too much, but this is a nice position to be in,” the overall leader said.

In a year when the Tour de France is expected to be decided in the time trials, and with Wiggins widely tipped to represent Britain at the London Olympics in the same speciality, the Briton preached caution.

“This is the Dauphine. We’re still several weeks away from the Tour and that’s a long time,” Wiggins said.

Strong winds and a tricky early corner caused another Tour contender, triple podium finisher Andy Schleck, to crash heavily and he finished almost 11 minutes down on Wiggins in 164th spot.

“I lost a lot of skin and I went down really hard,” Schleck said. “But I’m not worried for the Tour.”